Honeywell HZ-709 7 Fin Oil Filled Radiator Heater with Digital Controls
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Honeywell HZ-709 7 Fin Oil Filled Radiator Heater with Digital Controls
Customer Review: After one week, would not power on
Summary: 1 Stars
I bought one of these at Target (where the price is, incidentally $20 less than Amazon's), and it worked well for exactly one week. During that time, I had only two quibbles:
> The thermostat read about four degrees too low -- but it's easy enough to set the control for four degrees less than the temperature I wanted.
> The electronic controls are reasonably intuitive, except for the timer feature, which is just bizarre -- if you inadvertently set the timer, you'll have a heck of a time disabling it. And it's a shame that all the settings are purged when the unit is shut off (or when it shuts off automatically). The next time the unit is powered up, it will revert back to a 70-degree setting, which -- especially when coupled with the 4-degree-too-low thermostat, is far too warm for my application. And it will default to the highest setting, which isn't what I want either.
The heater produces nice, even heat. Like all oil-filled heaters, it takes a few minutes to get up to working temperature, but that is not a drawback. In fact, I like this feature of oil-filled heaters.
The reason for the one-star review is that yesterday, the heater simply shut off and would not power up again. At first I thought there might be an overload protector, but there isn't one, and even after waiting a day, it still wouldn't power up. (And yes, the outlet supplying the unit is functioning fine).
Fortunately, Target has a fantastic return policy (I had lost my receipt, but they generated one when I handed them my credit card), so this heater didn't cost me anything except time and trouble. But I would strongly suggest you avoid this model. It's nice when it's working, but judging by several of the reviews here, the electronic control unit is simply poorly engineered (a bit ironic given that Honeywell is a pioneer in control devices). Save money and trouble by buying a unit with a conventional control unit.
Customer Review: Best heater on the market
Summary: 5 Stars
THE HONEYWELL HZ-709: I'm on my sixth oil-filled radiator heater. It's a Honeywell HZ-709, the only satisfactory one I've found currently on the market. The first Honeywell I bought worked very well for one season. When I began experiencing problems, I found customer service to be very responsive and responsible.
THE OTHERS: I had a Lakewood which worked very well, but Lakewood doesn't make these heaters anymore. I've also tried two different DeLonghi radiators. Both of them continued to put out irritating fumes even after the break in period. Back they went. Likewise for the Holmes I bought. It gave off a low-level odor that I didn't find too noxious at first; but after the first few hours I developed a continuous and worsening headache + nausea that wouldn't quit unless I left the house. It didn't put out as much heat as the Honeywell either. I gave it two days to prove itself, then gave up on it.
THE WARRANTY: So I've purchased a second Honeywell. As I said, the first one worked beautifully for one season. I cranked it up again this fall and it worked fine for a few days. Then, suddenly, the heater started to put out nasty fumes. It smelled like a CFL bulb when they go bad - very nasty. It still worked and I couldn't find any leaking oil. I think the problem was in the control panel. I called customer service because, unlike other heaters, the Honeywell has a three-year warranty. Customer service was very thorough and efficient. The guy I spoke to told me he would waive the $10 return fee (?!!), but he wanted me to ship the heater back at my expense. When I objected, he put me on hold for a short time, then came back and told me that this one time I could just cut off the cord and send it. This I did, and I'm waiting on my replacement heater. Meanwhile I bought another because I wanted a second heater of this type anyway.
DIFFERENT TYPES OF HEATERS: I really prefer oil-filled radiators as opposed to forced-air or open-element heaters. They are quiet, slow, even, efficient, and safe. But you have to use them correctly. You can't come into a 60 degree room, crank up one of these radiators, and expect instant warmth. Rather than sending out a fan-driven blast of warm air, it transfers heat to the air and the objects around it by natural convection. Radiator is a misnomer - they should be called convectors.
(True radiant heaters, such as quartz heaters, use infrared heat (electromagnetic radiation) to warm objects (and people) rather than the air. This is, in principle, exactly how the sun heats. The air may remain cool, but if you stand in the sunshine you will be warmed by radiation. Infrared heat is great - if you can afford it. Quartz heaters will make your electric bill resemble NASA's budget. Apparently, buying a little piece of the sun is a very expensive proposition.)
Back to the oil-filled gadgets. As the heating element inside the convector (aka radiator) heats the oil, a current is generated in the oil because warm oil is more buoyant. The warm oil rises and gives up its heat, via the metal fins, to the colder air. The heated oil constantly rising from the bottom displaces the cooling oil which circulates back down to the heat coil to be heated again etc. etc. Meanwhile, the heated air is rising, forming its own convection current and is circulating throughout the room without any mechanical aids. This gentle current of air ultimately feels warmer than forced air because you are not contending with the "breeze" created by a fan-driven system. The use of natural convection circulation saves money because there is no fan using additional electricity.
If your room cools to, say, 55 degrees for a while, then so do all the objects in it. In a typical room, that's a lot of mass to bring back up to the desired temperature. Until everything reaches the desired temp, all that mass is soaking up the heat from whatever source you use. I find that these convection heaters are best used over a long period of time to warm the room and all the objects in it, then to maintain a comfortable temperature. To that end I wish the timer were set up to turn ON the heater (like an hour or two before I wake up or arrive home from work) rather than to turn OFF the heater at a preset time. That would make much more sense to me.
THE CONTROLS: The only other caveat to the timer is that if you accidentally turn it on by flicking the center button, your heater will cut off unexpectedly in whatever number of hours you unwittingly chose. Some of the "malfunctions" listed in other reviews may be due to accidentally setting the timer. The other controls work very well and the heater puts out a large, consistent volume of heat for a relatively modest increase in my power bill. The thermostat for this heater is apparently located near the floor. My floor is very cold, so the recorded temperature on the heater panel reads lower than the room temp. I monitor the actual room temperature and reset the heater thermostat accordingly. Right now it is 44 degrees outside, a comfy 72.5 inside, but the heater panel reads 68. This is in a very old, drafty, poorly-insulated 600 sq. ft. unit with no other intentional source of heat.
SUMMARY: Oil-filled heaters are quiet, efficient, and safe. The cats can and do sleep right up against it without burning themselves. It will not catch the curtains afire. There is no noisy, inefficient fan. Of all similar heaters, this Honeywell is the best -- well worth the additional price. It is obviously made to higher quality standards than the other, cheaper heaters I've tried. It carries a three-year warranty, and the company stands behind its product. It heats the room without poisoning the air. If they made an even better one and charged even more, I'd buy it!
Customer Review: Brand new and never warms above 63 degrees
Summary: 1 Stars
I purchased this heater to replace my Dehlongi radiator heater that didn't fail me for seven years. It cost more than I wanted to spend, but I liked the features, and expected this to warm my living room just the same, probably better, than my old Dehlongi did. I got it less than one week ago, brand new, and this heater does not heat above 63 degrees, and that's if I'm lucky. I've only seen it go above 61 degrees one time. My home heats with propane, and with the subzero weather here, I wanted to run up my electricity than breeze through my propane faster. This heater is more than a disappointment. It's costing me more money to run than it is saving me because I keep my home thermostat at 60 to save the propane. I have this heater set on the highest running power ($$), and set the thermostat to 85 (the highest it goes), and yet after five hours, the heater is STILL at 61 degrees. I wish my Dehlongi didn't die after seven years! At least that heated the room in about twenty minutes and could be turned off and still keep warm for another hour or so. This Honeywell heater is a joke.Customer Review: Broken after 2 winters
Summary: 1 Stars
This heater works well initially, but during the second winter it just stopped working. I do not recommend it.Customer Review: Buy one already...
Summary: 5 Stars
Honeywell HZ-709 7 Fin Oil Filled Radiator Heater with Digital Controls
Purchased the HZ-709 last winter because my (much older 6 year old digital controlled Honeywell) stopped working on the low setting. Used it dutifully about 10 hours a day (in winter) for all that time. Since that one easily paid for itself in its first month anyway... I have only GREAT things to saw about both the older and newer HZ-709. Easy to use (didn't have to dig the manual out to figure how it functioned last winter).
Improvements with the HZ-709: 3 settings instead of 2, a pull handle for easier mobility when needed. All the other nice features are listed in the product description. I use the HZ-709 on the lowest setting in a 16x16 room. I have a Kill-A-Watt to check the wattage on all 3 level settings and low was about 300 watts if I remember correctly. PERFECT!!!. I love the "oil filled radiator heater" type since there are no exposed heating elements. After a moment or two of the oil warming up, it is dead quiet otherwise (the oil normally crackles slightly when warming up). I additionally place a small 4" fan several feet away to help disperse the warm if I utilize it in a larger room. My heating bills are cut in half since I only reside in 1 or 2 rooms after work in the winter months.
Imagine my joy when I noticed there were two units (a box and) in stock at a local store left over from last year. I purchased one for my mother and an using the second unit downstairs. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.